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President Obama Threatens to Veto CISPA Cybersecurity Bill

If the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, better known as CISPA, reached President Obama's desk in its current form, his senior advisors would recommend him to veto the bill, according to a statement from the White House.

CISPA, says the White House, would allow the government and the intelligence community unfettered access to Americans' personal information and data, sacrificing individuals' personal privacy and civil liberties.

CISPA is designed to allow private firms to share information about cybersecurity threats with one another and with the federal government. The bill's advocates call such information sharing a necessary step in defending the U.S.'s networks from a "digital Pearl Harbor," while opponents argue that sharing puts the civil liberties and personal privacy of Internet users in jeopardy.

"[CISPA] would allow broad sharing of information with governmental entities without establishing requirements for both industry and the government to minimize and protect personally identifiable information," reads the statement.

The White House also believes that CISPA would allow private companies to share users' information with one another — unhindered by adequate supervision or transparency — while simultaneously shielding them from lawsuits that spring up as a result of that information sharing.

"Citizens have a right to know that corporations will be held legally accountable for failing to safeguard personal information adequately," reads the statement. "The broad liability protection not only removes a strong incentive to improving cybersecurity, it also potentially undermines our Nation’s economic, national security, and public safety interests."

Finally, the administration disagrees with CISPA's approach of putting cybersecurity threat information in the hands of the military and intelligence communities in what it calls a "significant departure" from "longstanding efforts to treat the Internet and cyberspace as civilian spheres."

Instead, says the White House, the Department of Homeland Security — a civilian agency — should have the "central role" in domestic cybersecurity.

The White House acknowledges a need for cybersecurity legislation. It's in favor of cybersecurity information sharing, a practice CISPA is based around, but insists such a plan must "enhance security without undermining their privacy and civil liberties."

It added that voluntary measures — another central tenet of CISPA — are insufficient responses to the "growing danger of cyber threats," suggesting support for other legislation that would require private businesses considered vital to national security to meet government-set cybersecurity standards.

The veto threat was targeted at CISPA's current form — which was likely to change before the bill ever reached the president. More than 40 amendments will be voted upon by the House later this week, and if the bill passes the House, it would move along to the Senate before reaching the Oval Office.

CISPA authors House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Ranking Member Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger responded to the White House's criticism by pointing out that many of those amendments are designed to address the problems cited in today's statement.

"The basis for the Administration's view is mostly based on the lack of critical infrastructure regulation, something outside of our jurisdiction," said the congressmen in a statement. "We would also draw the White House's attention to the substantial package of privacy and civil liberties improvement announced yesterday which will be added to the bill on the floor."

Wednesday's veto threat is the most strongly-worded message against CISPA from the White House to date. It previously made its distaste for the bill known through a National Security Council spokeswoman.

CISPA is expected to pass in the House when it votes on the bill Friday.

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